Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app

Continue in app Continue in browser

163Kviews

“Times Have Changed”: 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community

Interview

There are many things that were once considered taboo or socially unacceptable, but have since become more accepted by society. As time goes on, people's attitudes and beliefs can change, and what was once considered unacceptable may become widely accepted. This can be seen in a variety of areas, such as relationships, fashion, and even language. While some may view these changes as positive, others may resist them, leading to ongoing debates and discussions about what is and is not socially acceptable.

Ultimately, what is considered acceptable can vary greatly depending on the time and place, and what may be accepted in one society may not be in another. I asked Pandas from our community to share things that weren't socially acceptable until now, and there were a lot of interesting answers to say the least.

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Interracial marriages.

SaadiaAMYii Report

Final score:

401points

Elizabeth VanDyke

View more comments

Bored Panda reached out to Arizona Professor of Sociology, Dr. Mia Crawford. We asked her to explain to us what are some of the factors that contribute to changes in social norms and attitudes.

"Well, that's a good question," She started. "As you can guess there are a number of factors that can contribute to changes in social norms and attitudes. For example, demographic shifts. So imagine that changes in the composition of a population can lead to changes in attitudes and norms. An example of that would be, that when a population becomes more diverse, attitudes towards minorities or marginalized groups may shift." Dr. Crawford said.

#2

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Women being financially independent. Being able to have their own bank account, their own credit cards, and take out their own loans without having to have a man co-sign for them.

Marissa Grootes Report

Final score:

370points

View more comments

#3

Being openly gay. It used to be taboo and sometimes downright dangerous to be open about it. Now it’s no big deal and I think that’s awesome.

Filmbetrachter Report

Final score:

356points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

"Things like economic and technological change can also impact the shift in social norms. For example, advancements in technology may lead to changes in the way people communicate and interact with one another, which in turn can affect social norms.

It's also worth noting that social movements and activism are a big part of this whole thing as well! Social movements, such as the Civil Rights Movement or the LGBTQ rights movement, can also play a significant role in changing social norms and attitudes. These movements bring attention to issues and injustices, and through sustained activism and mobilization of people, bring about changes in the laws and social norms."

#4

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Tattoos. My parents cried and said I would never find a job.

ilovetattoos Report

Final score:

299points

Monica Michelle

View more comments

#5

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Being accepted and treated like a normal person despite having disabilities and disorders.

It wasn't that long ago people with any form of mental, learning, physical and cognitive disabilities or mental disorders were put in mental hospitals and cruel asylums when all they needed was some extra help from an Aide or counseling. People would be mean and call slower kids the 'R-word', bully them and teachers would outcast them to a "special ed" program.

Some kids never even get an assessment or diagnosis because their parents would be more concerned about the social impact, or refused to cater to the thought bad marks were not the fault of their child.

Now, kids who need extra support or be somewhere quiet to do their work go to the resource rooms, which sounds more inclusive.

RAEng_Publications Report

Final score:

279points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

"Lastly, we cannot exclude psychological and cultural factors: Social norms and attitudes can be influenced by psychological factors like cognitive biases and cultural factors like tradition, religion, and beliefs." Dr. Mia shared.

We also asked Dr. Crawford to explain some of the key factors that influence the acceptance or rejection of something in society. She broke down the complex dynamics behind social norms and attitudes, and provided some insights and examples that shed light on the subject.

"A variety of key elements can play a role in determining the level of acceptance or rejection of something within a society. One must first take a look at social norms and expectations. People tend to conform to the norms and expectations of their social groups. When something is seen as acceptable or normal within a particular group, it is more likely to be accepted by the individuals within that group." Dr. Crawford told Bored Panda.

#6

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Cosplay. Especially cosplay for people with disabilities or less-than-ideal bodies. I'm a cosplayer, I'm partially disabled and overweight, and no one bats an eye at the con when I dress up.

izhora22 Report

Final score:

266points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

#7

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Crying for men.

StockSnap Report

Final score:

254points

Titas Burinskas

View more comments

"Another thing that could be counted equally as important is the fact that familiarity breeds acceptance." The sociologist shared. "When people are exposed to something and given the chance to become familiar with it, they are more likely to accept it. Initially, new or unfamiliar things may be met with rejection, but as people become more accustomed to them, their attitudes can shift."

#8

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community According to an Emily Post Etiquette book published in 1984, it was not socially acceptable to ask a guest NOT to smoke in your home.

Andres Siimon Report

Final score:

228points

Scrupulous Panda

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

#9

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Bi-racial relationships & Bi-racial children

Lareised Leneseur Report

Final score:

212points

Gladys Hayes Southerland

View more comments

"Though there are a lot more factors to this, and I only named a few, these are one of the most important ones. These factors play a crucial role in shaping societal acceptance or rejection of something, however, it's important to note that their interplay and importance can change depending on the specific context and society." The sociologist lastly stated.

ADVERTISEMENT

#10

Maybe someone has already said this, I don't know. Back when I was growing up it was considered bad manners to make an incoming phone call more important than the person that you were talking to, right there, in person. I am still appalled at how many people answer their cell phones even if you're sitting right there in person talking to them. Seems like bad manners to me.

Final score:

209points

View more comments

#11

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Women exposing their ankles.

pascalepp Report

Final score:

208points

I value your opinion

View more comments

#12

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Well not entirely acceptable by everyone yet, but it's starting to be: men who aren't cross-dressers or even gay wearing skirts/nail polish/makeup.

Alexander Yuhchenko Report

Final score:

206points

View more comments

#13

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Natural hair being accepted as professional.

Tamas Pap Report

Final score:

205points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

#14

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community K-12 girls being allowed to wear pants to school. I know it's still no tube tops or short shorts, etc., but when I was in school, girls wore dresses and skirts, and if you knelt and the skirt didn't touch the floor, it was deemed to be too short. In high school, there were about 2 designated days per year when we could wear pants.

Frank Flores Report

Final score:

202points

View more comments

#15

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Protesting whaling.

Thomas Lipke Report

Final score:

185points

I value your opinion

View more comments

#16

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Females in revealing clothes. I'm grateful that I can wear pants/shorts. I hate dresses.

Julia Kicova Report

Final score:

179points

View more comments

#17

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Cannabis use, especially (where it’s legal for recreation,) is much more acceptable than it was years ago.

Ringo Hoffmann Report

Final score:

178points

View more comments

#18

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Discussing private issues.

Külli Kittus Report

Final score:

177points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

#19

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Being LGBTQ+ and supporting it. Also, someone said being openly gay and I’m not trying to copy them.

Final score:

169points

the leopard gecko overlord

View more comments

#20

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Having babies out of wedlock.

Omar Lopez Report

Final score:

166points

View more comments

#21

not liking religion. if you didn't like church the church would not like you existing

Final score:

158points

View more comments

#22

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community 1. Looking like you're talking to yourself.

The in past you've been taken away to the crazy hospital. These days you're most likely on your phone so you can feel free to talk to yourself all you want and just blame it on that, lol.

2. Being an actual crazy person.

It used to be if you were crazy they'd give you tin foil to play with and cart you off to a mental hospital because you shouldn't be allowed in regular society. Now you can say things like believing the earth is flat. Or that school shootings where children have died and it can be proven are just 'false flags' and never happened. Or that the government is a conspiracy of snake people from another planet. And instead of a tin foil hat, you get elected to the house of representatives or a radio show making millions of dollars.

Alesia Gritcuk Report

Final score:

155points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#23

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Black people going to the same school as white people (but I guess that’s racism) but it was still socially unacceptable.

Ivan Aleksic Report

Final score:

154points

View more comments

#24

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Being friends with an African American person.

Priscilla Du Preez Report

Final score:

149points

Solangelo4life!!!

View more comments

#25

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Not answering your phone. It used to be expected that if you were home and the phone rang, you picked it up. Then there were answering machines so we could screen. Then voicemail, and now we have a call display so you can just decline. I honestly never expect people to pick up if I call. Text is way easier anyway.

Jae Park Report

Final score:

146points

View more comments

#26

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Not dressing to the 9s when on an airplane. You used to essentially have to wear business suits/business formal when flying. Now comfy clothes are fine.

Hanson Lu Report

Final score:

146points

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#27

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Expressing pro-LGBTQ opinions without first saying "I'm not gay, but..."

Jason Leung Report

Final score:

145points

View more comments

#28

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Telling your parents they're wrong.

Sandy Millar Report

Final score:

144points

View more comments

#29

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Being a minority, whether it be religious or ethnic. Luckily, it is legal to not be a white Christain now, but you used to be mobbed or persecuted over what you believe in or what you look like.

Michael Dziedzic Report

Final score:

140points

ForThePeople he/him

View more comments

#30

Accomodating neurodivergent people. Don't get me wrong, it's still awful. But it's a hell of a lot better than it was maybe 5 years ago. Whether it's "autism hours" in supermarkets to lower risk of overstimulation or just not commenting on stims being "weird", it's definitely progress. It's less taboo and less ignored now than it's been in the past

Final score:

140points

Rowan [He/They]

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#31

The stigma surrounding mental illness has dissipated. We can now talk openly about mental health struggles and even take a mental health day off work. Mental Health struggles are being seen as legitimate and debilitating illnesses that used to be brushed off and people told to "Brighten up" or "Just get over it"

Final score:

133points

View more comments

#32

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Not knowing how to write in cursive.

Kelly Sikkema Report

Final score:

123points

View more comments

#33

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Swearing (to an extent).

Etienne Girardet Report

Final score:

120points

View more comments

#34

Being a witch/pagan although I did discover that in some countries it is still best to keep your pentacle tucked away,

Final score:

115points

View more comments

#35

being gay

Final score:

99points

Chance Scrotumsackington

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

#36

disrespect and rudeness. it happens all the time and no one speaks up because they're afraid of the confrontation and i don't blame them. rage is on the rise.

Final score:

99points

View more comments

#37

Mylar balloons aren't good for the environment. They can short-circuit power equipment and lead to outages and fires. They can float for days and miles and return to earth as ugly litter that pollutes pristine places. They end up in the stomachs of countless land animals and sea creatures that eat them and die. They waste helium which is a finite resource. They are synthetic products that will never biodegrade. They're pretty to look at but releasing them to ride the winds is irresponsible.

Final score:

95points

View more comments

#38

"Times Have Changed": 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community Now I actually think about it... anything. You can carry a lightsaber in public and nobody blinks, everybody has an opinion but nobody is accountable, and now I've said all of that, I'll let you know that it was what ruined the Star wars franchise years ago.

Alexander Jawfox Report

Final score:

94points

I value your opinion

View more comments

ADVERTISEMENT

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

#39

Being a Catholic Christian. The KKK tried to wipe us out. One Catholic priest was killed because a White Protestant man's daughter married someone outside of her own race.

Final score:

58points

Katarzyna M. Matracz

View more comments

#40

Wearing colours at Wimbledon

Final score:

57points

I value your opinion

View more comments

Note: this post originally had 99 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.

ImaPerson

I am a person

I am a person

Diana Lopetaitė

Hey there, Pandas! My name is Diana (though some prefer to refer to me as Diane, Deanna, and even Liana sometimes), and I am a Community Post Moderator Lead for Bored Panda. As my position title states, I am one of the people (employed Pandas for bamboo) over here who work with the community side of things on this website to ensure all is well, and while at that, I also help various creators and artists get recognition for the incredible work they do by connecting them to a large worldwide audience. Other than that, outside of work, you can find me brewing a nice cup of coffee, making a pizza from scratch, or baking brownies. I also love traveling, concerts, and cats (heavy on that, because I am a cat mom).

Hey there, Pandas! My name is Diana (though some prefer to refer to me as Diane, Deanna, and even Liana sometimes), and I am a Community Post Moderator Lead for Bored Panda. As my position title states, I am one of the people (employed Pandas for bamboo) over here who work with the community side of things on this website to ensure all is well, and while at that, I also help various creators and artists get recognition for the incredible work they do by connecting them to a large worldwide audience. Other than that, outside of work, you can find me brewing a nice cup of coffee, making a pizza from scratch, or baking brownies. I also love traveling, concerts, and cats (heavy on that, because I am a cat mom).

What do you think ?

Himory TheDreamer 2 years ago

It entirely depends on where you live. Here being gay is "legal" but people are still killed for it, even more so being trans. And try to get a job being trans or disabled or worse, being both, no one wants to employ you.

16points

Holly Bee 2 years ago

Employers will absolutely jump thru hoops to get rid of Trans employees, I've seen it happen. It's ridiculous. If they do their job well and don't eff things up for the company, that should be all that matters.

6points

Load More Replies...

Scott Crowe 1 year ago

They totally left out not having kids if you don't want them. A lot of people are tossing aside the "Life-Script" expectations and not putting up with the "...a woman's purpose in life..." b******t that's been shoved down our throats since childhood.

15points

Microwave Chef 1 year ago

It's not acceptable to all people. My married sister is still hounded to reproduce all the time even though she and her husband don't want any. And there are so many articles and discussions about it. If anything I feel like people should give reason to why they want kids.

2points

Load More Replies...

Veronica Rabbit 2 years ago

I feel like society has come a long way, but we still have a long way to go...

13points

Load More Comments

Himory TheDreamer 2 years ago

It entirely depends on where you live. Here being gay is "legal" but people are still killed for it, even more so being trans. And try to get a job being trans or disabled or worse, being both, no one wants to employ you.

16points

Holly Bee 2 years ago

Employers will absolutely jump thru hoops to get rid of Trans employees, I've seen it happen. It's ridiculous. If they do their job well and don't eff things up for the company, that should be all that matters.

6points

Load More Replies...

Scott Crowe 1 year ago

They totally left out not having kids if you don't want them. A lot of people are tossing aside the "Life-Script" expectations and not putting up with the "...a woman's purpose in life..." b******t that's been shoved down our throats since childhood.

15points

Microwave Chef 1 year ago

It's not acceptable to all people. My married sister is still hounded to reproduce all the time even though she and her husband don't want any. And there are so many articles and discussions about it. If anything I feel like people should give reason to why they want kids.

2points

Load More Replies...

Veronica Rabbit 2 years ago

I feel like society has come a long way, but we still have a long way to go...

13points

Load More Comments

Back to Homepage

More about Ask Pandas

Next in Ask Pandas

Related on Bored Panda

Related on Bored Panda

Word Search

Sudoku

Crossword

Word Flower

WordroW

Jigsaw

Picdoku

Killer Sudoku

Kriss Kross

Trending on Bored Panda

Also on Bored Panda